Right just to tidy up my Shrewsbury trip so it can be put safely into the big box of stuff and memories.
Lately the UK has been enjoying a run of hot weather, very enjoyable it is too. As well as being something of a guilty pleasure to us natives. Sunshine? Warm weather? Somehow the British Isles must have drifted off nearer to the Mediterranean.
I’d had a great day in the town, Shrewsbury does not disappoint and after a day of being a tourist it was time to make my way back to the railway station. I had a choice of trains home and I fancied a quiet, cooling drink. There are a couple of pubs I usually visit but I thought this time I would widen the field a bit.
My first stop was the Coach and Horses, a cosy corner establishment, cool and shady away from the baked in heat of the street. The Shrewsbury Food Festival was also in progress during the weekend but I hit that magical window where people were still only thinking about heading home via a refreshing drink or two and actually arriving in the pubs. I tried not to disturb a table of Gentleman Drinkers as I made my way to the bar. My drink of choice was Off Balance from the Salopian Brewery. It was a welcome new friend, light with a lemony aftertaste and good company for the half an hour or so we spent together. By the time I’d swallowed the last of it the Coach & Horses was starting to fill with returnees from the Food Festival so I decided to move on to somewhere else.
My next destination was the Three Fishes, a half timbered place just a few strides along from the Bear Steps. Again the welcome was inviting and as yet the tide of food festival patrons was only just beginning to lap at the shores. Mixing beer with education I chose a pint of Darwin Origin, found myself a corner and watched the world go by. A little coolness drifted in as the evening began to settle in and the day began to lose that baked in crustiness. The beer was good, noted for future reference and it sank down nicely as customers came and went.
This is the point where things can get dangerous, that feeling of a comfortable contentment creeps in then with a jolt you remember that you have a train to catch but are a bit uncertain as exactly how far the railway station is. Playing safe I finished my drink and headed off.
One of the many delights for me about Shrewsbury is the network of streets that huddle and twist together, looped around by the River Severn. Looking at it on satellite the town is shaped like a fat teardrop with the Quarry Gardens at the base and the Castle and railway station at the neck. I trotted on and reached the station, checking my watch I found I still had over half an hour before my train departed. I’m still confused by this, I don’t think I’ve mastered the art of time travel. Anyway it left me a choice of either sitting on the station twiddling my thumbs or sneak in one last drink. Dear reader I chose the latter.
The Tap & Can is a pub I walk past whenever I arrive because I don’t drink that early in the day and I’m usually in too much of a hurry when I’m heading back, so this time I made use of this unexpected opportunity. It’s a long room, bar at the far end and already it was busy, I’m guessing that as well as its regular custom it’s also a first stop for some on arriving in town by train. The drink of choice here was Almasty’s Chocolate porter, a deep and dark brew which made a decent contrast to the too previous, lighter pints.
Time was really creeping on now so my pint was finished and I wandered off around the corner to the railway station. The train back was already in early, engines rumbling away softly. So I could find a seat, relax and make notes for the next visit.
Some Links
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063771331334
https://www.facebook.com/tapandcan/?locale=en_GB
https://www.visitshropshire.co.uk/things-to-do/attractions/shrewsbury-visitor-information-centre/
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Lachlan1/sets
Categories: England, Food, Heritage, history, Photography, travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom
Tags: beer, England, lifestyle, photography, pubs, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, tourism, travel photography, Uk
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